Activities at Home After Surgery

General Activities:

Early, appropriate activity at home usually speeds up the recovery for most patients. Lying in bed for two weeks after surgery is not a good idea. Inactivity can lead to problems such as bed sores, blood clots in the legs, and pneumonia. That being said, there is a fine line between getting better and doing too much. Your body will tell you when you have overdone it, by either fatigue or increased pain. It takes some time for you to figure out what is too much, and of course, that may vary with the type of surgery that you have had.

You should be able to take care of yourself very soon following your procedure, and you won’t need to have a family member present at all times. You may need some assistance preparing meals, checking your wound, or getting groceries into the house, but full-time care will not be necessary in most cases.

Here are some activity tips for maximizing your recovery:

Yard work, house work, and grocery shopping should not be done without assistance immediately after surgery. Dr. Jeffords and his staff will let you know, based on what kind of surgery you have had, when you can resume these activities.

Limit your pushing and pulling activities such as vacuuming, sweeping, mowing, and mopping floors for at least six weeks.

If you feel more pain than usual after an activity, you may have overdone it. Take it a little easier for a few hours.

Walking:

You should begin walking short distances immediately after surgery.

Choose a level path for walking. Do not walk on hills.

Start with 10 minutes twice a day, and work up from there. Once you are walking 20 minutes in one session, you can decrease your walk to just once a day. Your goal is 30-40 minutes/day.

Let pain be your guide. What we mean by this is, if you have increased your walking time to 25 minutes from 20 minutes, and you experience severe pain, go back to 20 minutes for a few more days before trying to increase it again.

Walk up and down stairs as your pain allows.

Lifting:

No lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds for the first 4 weeks after surgery. This is equal to a gallon of milk.

Always lift with your legs and not your back. Keep whatever you are lifting as close to your body as possible.

Bend your knees and keep your back straight when picking up small items off the floor.

A “grabber” may be given to you from the hospital and can be useful to pick up objects.

Driving:

Do not drive until you have been cleared to do so by Dr. Jeffords.

Never drive if you have been taking narcotic pain medication or muscle relaxants.

Sexual Activity:

Back and neck pain can interfere with your sex life, but we want you to resume normal relations with your partner as soon as possible after surgery. We recommend avoiding sex for six weeks after surgery. Once you have begun the healing process, use the position that is most comfortable. You may find that lying on your back is the most comfortable if you can support your partner’s weight or your partner can support him/her self with arms and knees. Side lying may also be comfortable since neither partner is bearing the burden of the weight. Decide if a small pillow at the waist is helpful in supporting the spine and you will probably want a pillow located under your neck and head. Be careful not to twist the lower back. Be sure you communicate your fears and concerns with your partner before you resume sexual relations.

Special Precautions Depending on Your Type of Surgery

If You Have Had Cervical Fusion Surgery:

Try to avoid excessive neck motion. Do not look up toward the ceiling and limit turning your neck from side to side to 30-degrees in each direction.

Small amounts of motion are OK. If you try to hold your neck too stiff, your muscles in the back of your neck and shoulders will fatigue and start to spasm.

Wear the soft cervical collar at all times (except for showering and eating) until Dr. Jeffords has notified you that you may discontinue wearing it. When you remove the collar to shower or eat, keep your head in a neutral position, facing forward.

If You Have Had Lower Back Surgery (Microdiscectomy or Laminectomy):

You may sit in a recliner or on a couch with a rolled-up towel or pillow for lumbar support for as long as you are comfortable.

On longer car trips, get out and walk around for ten to fifteen minutes every hour. A reclining position will be most comfortable on longer trips.

NO “BLT” (bending, lifting, or twisting). Do not bend at the waist, lift anything over 10 pounds, push, pull or twist until cleared to do so.